Libraries are among our favourite places – because they are dedicated to books, and the people who love them.
We had a really enjoyable afternoon at Castelnau Library, in West London.
Thanks everyone for coming along to chat to us, and to the library staff for the tea, cakes and the beautiful flowers.
Talking to readers does inspire us – and in honour of Valentine’s Day – here are some thoughts about making a scene romantic…
Victoria
I think it’s the little things that make a scene romantic – shy looks as your hero and heroine get to know each other or a blush or a little smile.
Setting plays an important role in my books too and I love placing my characters in romantic settings – a walk in a country garden or fossil hunting on the beach. I think the ‘getting to know you’ stage of romance is the most fun and I really love writing these scenes – bringing two characters together who you just know are right for each other.
Juliet.
I think there are two different sorts of romantic scene – the ‘connected’ one where both parties are at the same stage and on the same wavelength, and the ‘disconnected’ one where there’s a mismatch of expectation, mood, etc.
A romantic scene can be particularly poignant if it’s ‘set up’ by one of the parties but then doesn’t go to plan. For example, the hero might take the heroine to his favourite place, or invite her into his private space, in the hope that she will show him that she reciprocates his feelings. But, just when he’s ready to let his guard down, something unexpected happens and it all goes wrong. So the hero is left dangling, so to speak.
Ultimately, of course, you have to have a ’connected’ romantic encounter where everything works out, but a ‘disconnected’ one can pave the way nicely and leave you anguishing with the disappointed party!
Janet
To me, a romantic scene is all about emotion. Do you remember how you felt waiting for that knock on the door on a first date? The quiver of anticipation before the first kiss? That’s the sort of emotion I want my characters and my readers to feel.
Anything can be romantic. There can be romance in the supermarket, while cooking a meal or washing a car. The romance comes from the characters’ hearts. Seeing those two hearts connect… catching that first flutter of emotion as they realise the other person is wonderful… maybe even THE ONE. To me, that moment is just magic.
